ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Division III No. 9-ranked Macalester College water polo team earned a hard-fought victory over Division I member the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), 10-8 in the first game of the 2024 season at the Macalester Invite at Riley Pool. The match was the first of 14 matches this weekend at Riley Pool.
Macalester trailed 3-0 until late in the first quarter, when sophomore Lorelei Bell (Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) tallied the Scots’ first goal of the season. Bell’s goal was followed by second-quarter goals from sophomore Jess Palmer-Sammons (Half Moon Bay, Calif./Half Moon Bay) and junior Elizabeth Matlin (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) that tied the score at 3-3. In the third quarter, VMI sandwiched goals around a tally from first year Pooja Bucklin (Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) for a 5-4 edge midway through the quarter.
At that point the Scots took control of the game with five straight goals, including three from sophomore Alana Nadolski (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood), for a commanding 9-5 advantage. Matlin and Palmer-Sammons scored the other goals in the run. VMI scored the next two goals, but first year Hanna Fasi (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani School) found the net for an insurance goal, and the Scots closed out the win, 10-8.
Sophomore Jayden Kratt (Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) registered 13 saves in goal to preserve the victory.
Release courtesy Macalester College Athletics Communications
